Draft gear



cm, 192m A. H. @ELKERS DRAFT GEAR 2 Shams-Sham. Q

Filed Nov. 22, 1926 OctAf 9 1,92?.a

A. H. QELKERS DRAFT GEAR Filed NOV. 22, 1926 2 SheS-Sheet 2 Patented @cte d, i927..

fitti@ Amann n. onLnnRs, or cnicneo, inniirors, Assrenon ro enmarcan s'rnnr. rouirnnrns, or CHICAGO, ILLiNois, .a conronar'ioir Por nnw anneau..

DRT Il,

Applicationileu November 22, 1926. Serial No. 14Min.

My invention relates to a draft appliance for railroad rolling stock, and more particularly to a draft gear adapted to be installed and used with the standard A. R. A. car sill and one which employs an improved wedge' gear to aid in taking up the movement instant to blows occasioned in coupling and pulling` cars.

In the earliest developments in railway draft gears that employed frictional resisting elements, it was the practice to employ wedge means positioned between and housed within two longitudinal beams positioned under Jthe car that constituted the car sill. As the need for an increased capacity` in railroad cars ,grew and with the development of improved locomotives with larger pulling capacity, the need for a draft gear with an' .increased capacity was also occasioned. The standard car designs provide for a specific type of car sill with a definite space between the beams thereof, which prevented satisfaction of this need by merely increasing the size of the devices used at that time. lf such a practice was followed, the car 'sills would have necessarily been increased to a size unduly large and expensive and out of proportion to 'the other uses for the'sills in car construction. fin answer to this problem, devices have been devised which have an increased frictional capacity and of a design that is readily contained between and f housed within the longitudinal beams constitilting the car sill.

ln ,order that thesequalities may be embodied in a device having these characteristics, it has been necessary to provide a plurality of broken up friction surfaces having compound wedging actions; that is, to provide one wedging face bearing against and adapted to displace a wedging block having morethan two wedgiiig faces, for instance,

triangular block, which is displaced bodily by overcoming a second frictional resistance' and in its displacing movement in turn displaces a a spring or like means. This type of device has been successful to a greater or less degree but it has been found to be inoperative lowed which influence materially the sub.- stances thatmay be used, and the consequent cost and the utility-of the device.. It has been found thatwhen `one friction element third wedging element resisted by.

unless certain limiting specifications are'fol-' bears on another at a predetermined pressure and with a definite wedging angle operating to displace one or the other'of these elements in the course of movement, that due to the angleof. repose determined by the co-efiicient of lfriction of the two surfaces in contact, that a marked limitation is placed on the an. gle which may be selected for displacing one of these friction elements by the frictional, absorbing movement of the other, without binding of the parts, irrespective of the pressure thatl may be applied. This situation is very much easier to handle when a vwedging element with two friction faces is employed in thatthe wedging'angle, that is, the angle between the two friction faces, may be selected as desired, whereas in the event a triangular wedging member, wedging on three faces, is employed, the angular relationship of the three faces is ldefinitely determined without alteration in that the suml of the angles of the triangle equals 180.

Due to this last condition, devices which have been designed to provide the necessary frictional resistance for cars of increased capacity and to be housed within the beams of the car sill of the standard A. R. A. type, have employed compound frictional means and have been limited in that it has been necessary to vary the materials from which the various parts are made in order'to lprovide fr ictional faces bearing on three sides of the triangular members which will give a coefficient of friction that will render the device operative notwithstandingthe particular 'angle of repose existing for each one of the cooperating angular surfaces.

To this end, one of the objects of my invention is to overcomethese limitations and to provide, a more improved draft gear employing fi'ictional wed ing members which ave only. two sides in rictional contact for a single wedge and have sucient capacity for efficient operation on cars of increased capacity and can be installed for operation in connection with the standard A. A.- car sill and yet one which is simplerin design 'and cheaper in construction.

-Another object of my invention is -to pro 'vide a friction draft gear employing. the advantages of the above stated objects, which may be assembled through the sides of the sill eliminating the necessity of cutting away the bottom flanges on, the sill beams and one which may be laced under an initial compression after t e device has been assembled and to be adjusted from a position outside of the sills to restore the gear to'a normal operating condition after wear.

Another' object of my invention is to provide a railroad draft appliance comprising a spring gear and a friction gear positioned to operate in series and providin in addition to the usual stops 4on the sill means, auxiliary stops which are attached to the flanges of the sillv beams as well as the webs thereof so that the auxiliary stops abut the spring gear when the draft appliance is in a y position of maximum compression to thereby receive and transmit to the flanges of the silll means a portion of the load.

It is another object of my invention to provide a railroad draft appliance comprising a wedge gear made up of two longitudinal wedging elements and two transverse wedging elements having cooperating frictional faces and providing the .still beams with transverse openings through whieh are positioned the friction draft gears, the wedging members being centrally positioned between the sill beams and extending through and beyond the openings. l

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a railroad draft appliance having a friction gear, the friction faces of which have maximum contacting areas when in an unloaded conditionl or at an initial position of their operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a railroad draft appliance having a friction gear and a spring gear operating in series and maintained 1n abutting relation in their extended posit-ion between stop members positioned on the sill beams, in which the wedge gear elements have cooperating stops adapted to contact to limit the extremities-of their movement so that the wedge gear will have a predetermined overall dimension at both extremities whereby a decrease in the longitudinal overall dimension occasioned by wear will be taken up by the spring gear.

Another object of my invention is to provide a railroad draft appliance embodying v the advantages set forth in the above stated objects, in which the sill beams are provided with openings through which are positioned the wedging members of the wedge gear in which an auxilary stop' is provided, the stop having` a U-shaped configuration and is attached to the web and the flange rtion` of the beam, and is positioned aroun lthe margin of the opening in the sill beam in a manner to form a reinforcing member around the cut away ortion. i

Another ob]ect of my invention is to provide af railroad draft appliance having a friction gearfof the above described type in which the wedging members are adapted to be assembled through the sill openings, the longitudinal wedges of which are provided with projections adapted to be positioned between rounded corners of thebeam webs when in a maximum separated positionso as to prevent lateral displacement when in this position, and the transverse wedges of' which are provided with lip portions projecting from the top and bottom thereof in a manner and of proper dimensionsto con'- tact the margins of the web surrounding the opening to prevent the transverse wedge members from being inserted too farwithin the-housing formed by the spaced sill beams.

These and other objects are accomplished b means of the arrangement disclozed on t e accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view in cross section of a railroad draft appliance constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation in cross section cut on the center line of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in cross sec-` tion showing the parts of the draft gear in compression, the parts assuming vthis position under maximum load; and

Figure et is a cross sectional elevation as seen from one end, taken on line lx-4X of serving as a limiting means for the draft appliance and for transmitting the load from the draft gear to the car sill, the casting member 13 being attached to the webs 12 of the beams by rivets or other suitable means, not shown. Spaced from the stops 14 are similar stops 15 likewise attached to thev webs of the beams which serve to transmit the load from the draft gear to the webs of the beams in the opposite direction of movement. It will be further noted that my draft gear consists broadly of ya spring gear designated generally as 16 and a friction gear designated generally as 17, these two gears being positioned between the stops 14 and 15 in a mannerto operate in series and to abut the stops 14 and l5 respectively when in their-maximum extended position or in an unloaded condition. The spring gear 16 consists of a follower 18 having extensions 19 projecting laterally from the sides thereof and a skirt portion 20 which forms invenlll) a housing for a coil spring 21. The wedge gear 17 is made upof four wedging members, two longitudinal wedges 22, 23 and a transverse floating wedging unit 24, this last` named wedging unit comprising two transverse wedge members 25 and 26, each having two wedging faces cooperating with the two wedging faces of each of the two longitudinal wedge members and being further mounted on a rod 27 positioned through openings 28 and 29 respectively through the two transverse wedge members and extending beyond the sides thereof.

Each of the web portions 12 of the beams is provided with an opening 30 of a size to receive each cf the four wedging ,members,fit being noted that in final assembled position, as shown in Figure 1, the wedging members are of such a size that while positioned centrally between the two beams, they extend through the opening and -beyond the sills thereby presenting frictionaly faces of increased areas. Positioned on the ends of the rod 27 are coil compression springs 31 andv auxiliary springs 32 maintained under compression by the cap 33 and nut v34 threaded as at 35 on, the end of the rod 27 so as to provide the wedging unit previously referred to as 24, the inner faces of the transverse wedging members and 26 contacting as at 36 when the draft gear is in unloaded condition. The longitudinal wedging member 22 is adapted to receive the yoke 37 which is in turn connected by the pin 38, shown in Figure 2, to the coupler of the railroad car so that when the draft gear is subjected to a pulling load, the load 1s transmitted from the yoke member through the wedging gear and through the spring gear to the stops 15 connected to the beams of the car sill. f

Between the danges 19 of the spring gear and the wedging gear, auxiliary stops 39 are provided which are attached by suitable means, such as rivets 40, to the web portion 12 and the flange portion 11 of the sill beams.

The auxiliary stops 39 are of a general U-Aj shaped formation and are adapted Ain their attached positions to surround the opening in the web 12 sol as to form a strengthening member around the margins of the opening. 'lhc web members 22 and 23 are provided with stops 41 (see Figure 3) which are adapted to engage in a maximum loaded condition of the gear so as to .limit the approach of these two wedge members and to form a means for transmitting directly through these two wedge members, independent of the friction surfaces, the load occasioned by pulling or pushing of the railroad car directly to the stop members 14- or 15, as the case may be.

ln assembling the friction.l gear, the yoke together with the spring gear comprising the follower 18 and the spring 21, are inserted up fromgthe bottom between the inner flanges 11 which may be intact or cut away as desired, and the friction wedges are inserted from the sides through the openings 30 in the web portions 12 of the sill beams, the wedges being inserted through the arms of the yoke after the yoke has been lifted to a heighth suiicientto permit the wedges to be inserted therethrough. The two longitudi` nal wedges 22 and 23 are inserted vfirst and are moved to their maximum separated positions, ,in which position the, shoulders 42, which are squared as shown in Figure 2,

project behind the 'rounded corners 43 of the opening so as to prevent lateral displacement .so y

during the assembling operation. lVhen iny this position, the two transverse wedge members 25 and 26 are inserted between the longit-udinal wedges from` their respective sides until their friction faces contact with the frictional faces of the longitudinal wedge members at which time the rod 27 is inserted through the center openings and thesprings y 'positioned on the outer ends thereof. The

transverse wedges are further provided with upper and lower lugs 48 on their upper and lower surfaces adjacent the outer edge to 'prevent them from being inserted too far inwardly between the sill beams when they `are projected through the openings 30, the

lugs contacting the marginal portion of the web 12 of the sill when the wedges are slightly beyond the center line.l ln the position shown in Figure 1, a slight clearance is provided between the lugs and the web.

In order to compress the spring members 31 and 32 an extent sutticientto permit the cap 33 and nut 34 to be attached to the end of the rod, openings 44 are rovided in the outer faces of the wedge mem ers adapted to receive bolts 45 which are temporarily inserted and together with the yoke 46 and the i nuts 47 form means for placing the springs under compression an amount sufficient to permit the cap 33 and the nut 34 to be attached. After the nut 34 is in threaded re- Y lation with the rod 27, the bolts 45 and the yoke 46 may be removed and the initial compression of the parts of the draft gear may be effected by adjusting the nut 34. The yoke member 37 connected with the car coupler is adapted to abut they outer portion 49 of the follower 18 so that the draft gear may be put under compression 'under a pushing load as well as a pulling load, in which case the stops 14 serve to transmit the load taken through the draft gear to the webs 12 of the beams up until the device is in a condition of maximum compression', at which time the projections 19 on the follower 18 contact the auxiliary stops 39 for partially absorbing the maximum load in this direction, the stops 39 serving to transmit a part of the load imparted to them to the flanges 11 of the beams and in this manner relieve the webs 12 of excessive strains which would tend to buckle and damage the beams. It is to be noted that the auxiliary stops are needed in the direction of the pushing load in that the draft of the spring 21 of the spring gear beingl effected by tightening of the springs 31 and 32 of the transverse wedge member by means of the nut 34. The Wedging resistance is sov selected relative toy the necessary load for compressing the spring 21 that the wedging gear as a unit will remain inoperative until the spring 21 is compressed an amount sulficient to bring the longitudinal wedge 23 in I contact with the skirt portion 16 of the follower 18, at which time the wedging unit comes into operation. By selectingthe type of wedge members herein disclosed, a degree 'of flexibility is provided in selecting the angle between the cooperating wedges, namely, the longitudinal wedges and the transverse wedges, which permits the wedges t-o be constructedof the same material, and further, in providing wedges of increased size assembled through and projecting beyond the webs of the beams, frictional surfaces of unlimited area may be employed without changing the form of the standard A. R. A. car sills.

One of the important features in the operation of my invention resides in the fact that the cooperating frictional faces between the wedges 25 and 2Q and 22 and 23 are in contact with a maximum area when in an unloaded condition, and that under operating movement, the frictional'faces slide in overlapped relation, as shown in `Figure 3. This feature is important for the reason that the maximum frictional movement between the partsis occasioned at the starting position or from the position shown in Figure' 1, due to the fact that blows of small degree occur more fre uently than excessive blows, therefore, 'by iaving the frictional faces in contact throughout their entire surface initially, a uniform wearing away of the cooperating surface is provided, eliminating the formation ofpockets or- Worn spots in the faces with the consequent formation of an objec-L tionable ridge, it being found in practice that the formation of ridges dueto excessive worn spots frequently results in producing a condition. of inoper'ativeness in the draft gear.

XI claim:

1. In a railroad draft appliance, a car sillv comprising a pair of spaced beams having openings through their web portions, a friction gear comprising two lateral wedges and two longitudinal wedges positioned between and extending beyond said beams through said.. openings, said wedges having friction surfaces initially in contact throughout their entire working areas.

2. In -a railroad draft appliance, a cai sill comprising a pair of spaced beams having openings through their web portions, a friction gear positioned between and extending beyond said beams through said openings, .said gear having friction surfaces initially in contact throughout their entire working areas.

3. In a railroad draft appliance, a car sill comprising a pair -of spaced beams having vopeningsthrough their web portions, a fricof operative movement and ldiminishing with an increase in movement under load.

.5. In a railroad draftv appliance, the combination of a car sill and a friction gear,

' said sill comprising a pair of spaced beams having openings therethrough, said friction gear comprising two longitudinalwedges centrally spaced between said beams and projecting through and beyond said openings and a pair of transverse wedges contactiiifr at the center line of said sill and extendin: through and beyond said openings, and means .for yieldingly maintaining said wedges in operative engagement..

6. In a railroad draft appliance, the coinbiiiation of a car sill and a friction gear, said sill comprising a pair of spaced beams having openings therethrough, said friction gear. comprising two longitudinal wedges centrally spaced between said beams' and projecting through and beyond said openings and a pair of transverse wedges engaging said longitudinal wedges and extending througli and beyond said openings, and means for yieldingly maintaining said wedges in operative engagement.

7. In a railroad draft appliance,\the combination of a car sill and a friction gear said still comprising a pair of spaced beams, having` openings therethrough, said friction gear comprising two longitudinal wedges centrally spaced between said beams aand proJecting through and beyond said openings and a pair of transverse wedges engaging said longitudinal wedges 'initially with maximum contacting surfaces and extween stopl means on said sill, and a floating transverse wedging unit positioned between said longitudinahwedges comprising a pair of opposed initially abutting wedges mounted on a rod, spring means mounted on said rodV abutting said transverse wedges and means on said rod for retaining said spring means and eecting an initial compression thereof, all of said wedge members extending through andA beyondsaid openings. e

9. In" a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill and a friction gear, said sill comprising a pair of spaced beams .having openings therethrough, lsaid friction gear comprising two. opposed longitudinal wedge members and a floating transverse wedging unit positioned between said longitudinal wedges comprising a pair of opposed initially abutting wedges mounted on a rod, spring means mounted on said rod abutting said transverse wedges, and means on said rod for retaining said spring means, all of said wedge members extending through and beyond said openings. c

10. Ina railroaddraft appliance, the c ombination :of a car 'sill having two spaced stops.- a longitudinal spring abutting. one of said .stops and two longitudinal wedge members positioned between Y and abutting said spring and the-other of said stops, two transverse wedge members 'positioned between said longitudinal wedge members and being mounted on a rod having springs causing compression of said wedges and longitudinal springs, said wedge members and said rod projecting laterally through andvbeyond said sill and having means for adjusting said springs whereby an initial cornpression can be readily effected by adjusting said last named springs.l

11. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill' and a spring gear and a wedge gear positioned to'operate in series, said draft gear comprising two longitudinal wedge members and two transverse wedge members, said transverse wedge ,members being mounted on a rod having springs and spring adjusting means thereon, said wedges, springs and'sprin adjusting means projecting through and eyond said sills whereby an initial compressing of said parts` may be yreadily eii'ected after said parts are assembled.

'12. In a, railroad draftl appliance, theA combination of a car sill comprising spaced beams having web portions and inwardly extending an'ge portions, a spring gear and a friction and Wedge gear positioned to operate in series, stops on said web portions abutting said ears in their extended position, and auxiliary stops attached to said web portions and said `flange portions for abutting said spring gear when said gears are un er maximum compression in bu:` whereby part of the loadl is transmitted through said auxiliary stops to said web portions and said flange portions.

13'. In a railroad draft appliance, the com'- bination of a car sill comprising spaced beams having Web-portions and inwardly extending flange portions and a draft gear, stops on said web portions labutting said gear when in .extended osition, and auxiliarystops attached to said web portions and said flange por-tions for abutting said ear when under maximumcompression in utf wheleby pa'rt of said load is transmitted through 'said'auxiliary stops to said web portions and said flange portions.

14.- In a Yrailroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill comprising spaced beams having openings. therethrough, a draft 'gear positioned centrally of said beams 'extending through and projecting beyond ysaid openings, an auxiliary stop for said gear "attached to said beams shaped in a manner and positioned so as to form a reinforcing means fo-r the margin of said openings.

15. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill', a wedge gear, a spring gear, and auxiliary stops on said car sill, said wedgel gear comprlsing a pair of opposed longitudinal wedges and a pair of transverse spring pressed .wedges cooperating therewith, said longitudinal wedges being provided with stops adapted to contact after a predetermined amount of compression in buff movement of said wedge and spring gears said predetermined amount causing said spring gear to abut said auxiliary stop.. i

16. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill comprising spaced beams having openings therethrough and a wedge gear comprising cooperating wedges,

between portions ofsaid beams when in maximum separated position whereby lateral displacement in this position is pr vented.

17 In a railroad draft appliance, the comlao bination of a carfsill comprising spaced A .beams having openings therethrough, and a spring gear 'and a wedge gear positioned centrally between said beams in a manner to operate in series, said beams having stops for abuttin said spring gear and wedge gear respectively in extended position, and an auxiliary stop for abutting said spring gear in the position of maximum compression, said wedge gear comprising a pair of longitudinal wedges positioned between one of said stops and said spring gear, and a. pair of spring pressed transverse wedges positioned between and cooperating with said longitudinal wedges, both of said pairs of wedges extending through and beyond said openings and being provided with stop portions for cooperating respectively at the opposite extremities of movement whereby said wedge gear will have a predetermined overall dimension in both extremities of 'movement to cause the transverse wedges to contact at the same time the sprlng gear and wedge gear contact said stop in extended outside of said beams, said last named portions being provided with projections for contacting the beam adjacent the margin of said opening whereby said wedgesare prevented'from being inserted too far.

19. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill comprising spaced beamshaving openings therethrough, and a wedge gear positioned centrally of said beams, projectlng through said openings and extending beyond said sills, said openings and Wedge members being of a size to permit the Wedge gear to be asembled through said openings.

' ,20. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill comprisin spaced beams having openings therethroug and a wedge gear positioned4 centrally of said beams, projecting through said openings and extending beyond said sills, sald openings and Wedge members being of a size to permit the wedge gear to be assembled through and to operate while projecting through said openings. v

21. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of. a car sill comprising spaced beams having openings through their web portions, and a friction draft gear, frictional elements of which are assembled through said openings, said draft gear in as'- Sembled relation extending beyond the edges of said opening and having means for limitp ing inward movement therethrough whereby said draft gear is held against lateral dis placement.`

22. In a railroad draft appliance, the comf bination of a carv sill comprising spacedv beams having openings through their web portions, and a friction draft gear, friction-al elements of which are assembled through and extend beyond said openings, said spacedv .above the edges of said openings forming supports for said draft gear.

24. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill comprising spaced beams having transversely aligned openings in their web portions, means attached to said beams for reinforcing the edges of said openings, and a draft gear having friction elements extending through said openings and extending beyond the sides of said beams and resting on said means reinforcing the edges of said openings.

25. In a railroad draft appliance, the coinbination of a car sill, a friction gear projecting through and beyond said sills, and an auxiliary stop attached to the beams of said car sill, said auxiliary stop being provided with portions underlyingsaid. friction gear for supporting said friction gear.

26. In a railroad draft appliance, the combination of a car sill having openings through the beams thereof, a friction gear projecting through and beyond said -openings and an auxiliary stop attached to said car sill, said stop being constructed to forni a reinforce for said openings and to present, portions underlying said friction gear for sugporting said friction gear. l

igned at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of November, 1926.

, ALFRED H. OELKERS.

0' web portions and 

